Featured events at the party: performances by Miami Gay Men’s Chorus (each member dressed as Desi Arnaz’s TV alter ego, Ricky Ricardo) and a Lucille Ball/Lucy Ricardo lookalike contest – open to all genders.

Miami Gay Men’s Chorus will perform two 20-minute sets of their own repertoire, along with musical numbers featured on I Love Lucy, which ran on CBS from 1951 to 1957.Male or female, the contest winner will receive a package including I Love Lucy Live tickets and a pin-up style photo shoot by Terribly Girly Photography’s Janette Valentine. Judges are local fashion experts Gino R. Campodonico of The MANnequin Party, Kalyn James from Fashion Style Miami, and Annie Vasquez of TheFashionPoet.com.

The gay men’s chorus opens and closes the reception. “We do a set really early in the happy hour and then in about an hour or so come back and do another set,” artistic director Anthony Cabrera said.

For the past three months, the chorus has been preparing at its regular rehearsal location, All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Miami Beach.

“We try to perform to the highest caliber because when we go out to perform we give it our all,” chorus member Brandon Stephenson said.

The signature cocktail of the night will $5 Mojitos, along with other “Tropicana nightclub” drinks.

I Love Lucy Live On Stage runs Sept. 30-Oct. 5 at the Arsht Center, where Miami audience members can imagine themselves as a 1952 I Love Lucy studio audience watching Ball, Arnaz, William Frawley and Vivian Vance perform as Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel.

World Outgames Miami 2017 host committee members review the accomplishments of the past year and explain what lies ahead in the planning process for World OutGames Miami when the city expects to welcome more than 15,000 participants and spectators from around the world.

BY PATRICIA MAZZEI

A pair of Miami-Dade commissioners will attempt for the second time to add transgender protections Tuesday to a county law that bans discrimination in government employment and the delivery of public services.

“This country is evolving in a way where we’re more accepting, so I think this is a good time to bring it back,” Commissioner Audrey Edmonson said.

She and Bruno Barreiro withdrew the legislation last summer when it faced resistance in a key committee made up of five commissioners, some of whom indicated they would oppose expanding the county’s human-rights ordinance.

The difference now: One of those commissioners is on her way out the door.

Lynda Bell lost her reelection bid last month to Daniella Levine Cava, who was elected with the vocal support of SAVE, Miami-Dade’s leading gay-rights group that blamed Bell for the failure of last year’s trans-inclusive amendment. Bell, who received the backing of conservative activists, countered that hers was merely a single vote.

Levine Cava won’t be sworn in until Nov. 18. That means Bell will still be on the dais Tuesday, when Edmonson and Barreiro’s proposal is scheduled for a preliminary vote.

But Levine Cava would be on the board by the time the measure winds through the commission’s legislative process. A final vote would take place in December at the earliest.

That’s assuming the proposal advances Tuesday. It did so last year, with only one commissioner — Bell — voting against.

Edmonson, the chairwoman of the health committee, acknowledged the changing composition of the board in an interview Monday, but also noted a shift in society and popular culture as a reason for resuscitating the proposal now. After withdrawing it last year, she and Barreiro had to wait at least six months, under county rules, before bringing it back.

“It’s something that has to be dealt with,” Barreiro said.

As proposed, the amended law, which is also co-sponsored by Commissioner Sally Heyman, would extend the discrimination ban to “gender identity” and “gender expression.”

It’s already illegal in county government to discriminate against someone — in terms of their public employment, family leave, accommodations, credit and financing, or public housing — on the base of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, marital status, familial status or sexual orientation.

Adding “sexual orientation” to the law was a decades-long political fight recently examined in The Day It Snowed In Miami, a documentary co-produced by the Miami Herald.

But much has changed since voters approved the addition in 2002, passed by the commission in 1998. In 2003, Monroe County and Key West widened their human-rights ordinances to include transgender protections. Miami Beach did the same in 2004, Palm Beach County in 2007 and Broward County in 2008. Last year, Gainesville’s Alachua County passed a similar law.

In June, Miami Beach commissioners voted to provide city employees with transgender health insurance, which would cover treatments such as gender-reassignment surgery and hormone and psychological therapy but not cosmetic procedures.

Opponents organized by the conservative Christian Family Coalition last year claimed the county’s expanded definition would allow people who are not transgender to dress up as the other sex and walk into public restrooms to prey on victims. A flier produced by the group featured a man with beard stubble wearing a blonde wig and leering at a frightened little girl.

Anthony Verdugo, the organization’s executive director, said he doesn’t plan to attend Tuesday’s meeting because he’s out of town. But he continues to oppose the policy, calling it “a solution in search of a problem.”

“It legalizes discrimination, because it gives a reason for employers to fire employees,” Verdugo said. He cited the case of a Macy’s employee in Texas who lost her job in 2011 because the employee said she didn’t allow a transgender customer to use a women’s dressing room.

“There just simply is no evidence for the need for this,” Verdugo said.

Edmonson, however, dismissed that criticism — and the idea that expanding the county’s anti-discrimination law would somehow legalize preying on people in restrooms or other public places.

“That was just a smoke screen,” she said. “We’ve got at least 10 counties already in the state [with similar legislation], and no one’s having that problem.”

BY KELLI KENNEDY

Associated Press

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed appeals late Friday on several rulings overturning the state’s ban on gay marriage.

The motion argues the sole legal issue is the constitutional validity of the state ban and any changes should come from voters, not the courts. Florida voters approved the ban in 2008.

Bondi’s office said the agency joined the appeals to promote an orderly and consistent resolution after several judges around the state recently overturned Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage. Bondi has asked judges to stop ruling on same-sex marriage cases until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether states can ban gay marriage. A number of similar rulings around the country have been put on hold while appeals are pursued.

Judges in four Florida counties – Palm Beach, Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward– have overturned the ban. A federal judge has also overturned the ban. U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle in Tallahassee ruled on Aug. 21 that the ban violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. Hinkle issued a stay delaying the effect of his order, pending possible appeals.

The latest Florida ruling came in a pair of lawsuits brought by gay couples seeking to marry in Florida and others who want to force Florida to recognize gay marriages performed legally in other states.

MIAMI BEACH – September 11, 2014– The host committee of World OutGames Miami 2017 will present the 2nd Annual World OutGames Miami Community Reception on Tuesday, September 16, 2014, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in the B Ballroom, second level, Miami Beach Convention Center. During the reception, members of the host committee will review the accomplishments of the past year and explain what lies ahead in the planning process for World OutGames Miami when the city expects to welcome more than 15,000 participants and spectators from around the world.

The reception is free and open to the public with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and 2-for-1 Happy Hour cocktails. RSVPs are requested to Miami@OutGames.org by September 15.

In addition to updates from the host committee, civic and community leaders will be on hand to share some special surprises and voice their support of World OutGames Miami. Volunteer and participant opportunities will also be showcased where individuals can join the organizing effort or register to compete in the Games.

In addition to sporting competitions in more than 30 individual sports, World OutGames Miami will feature cultural activities that highlight the local flavor of South Florida and a global Human Rights Conference to discuss issues being faced by the LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex) community from around the world.

Dates for World OutGames Miami are May 26 to June 4, 2017 with events taking place at venues throughout Miami Beach and Miami.

The Miami Beach-Miami Sports & Cultural League is the non-profit host organization for World OutGames Miami 2017. World OutGames is licensed by GLISA International (the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association) and takes place every four years in a different global city. 2017 will mark the first time that the Games have been held in the United States. Previous hosts have been Montreal, Copenhagen and Antwerp. World OutGames is open to all who wish to participate, without regard to sexual orientation, and all competitions are arranged according to the skill level of the athletes. Cultural and human rights components make the event a well-rounded experience for athletes and non-athletes alike. For more information on World OutGames Miami 2017, visit www.facebook.com/OutGamesMiami.

World OutGames Miami 2017 is made possible with the support of the Florida Sports Foundation, Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau, City of Miami Beach, and Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority.

BY STEVE ROTHAUS

Chuck Wolfe, an Eagle Scout who grew up in South Florida and became Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles’ closest gay advisor in the 1990s, announced Wednesday he is stepping down as president of the national Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

“The Victory Fund and our supporters have endorsed and helped elect thousands of LGBT Americans who have been brave enough to put their names on a ballot, and their honesty has been key to changing politics wherever they serve,” Wolfe wrote in an email to Victory board members. “This work is as necessary as ever, especially in places where our community still feels powerless or lives in fear.”

Victory’s mission is to increase the number of openly LGBT officials in all levels of government and Wolfe has headed the group for 12 years.

“Thanks to Chuck Wolfe’s tireless leadership and advocacy during his years at the Victory Fund, LGBT people are far better represented in elected office across America – more so than many in this community ever thought possible. During Chuck's tenure, Victory has helped to more than triple the number of openly LGBT Americans serving in elected and appointed office, and the number of out members serving in Congress has gone from just two to 8. Throughout history, government has virtually never been a leader on issues of equality. But Chuck Wolfe and the Victory Fund have helped to change that, ensuring that LGBT people are represented in the institutions with the power to address the vital needs of our community.

“We are sad to see Chuck leave. But at this pivotal moment in our nation’s history, the Victory Fund is in a powerful position to make great progress for the LGBT community throughout the nation. We look forward to a continued partnership with the organization and whoever is fortunate enough to take its helm. The entire HRC family wishes Chuck the very best, and the entire LGBT community owes him our deepest gratitude.”

The Blade reports that “in recent months, Wolfe has been struggling with health issues.”

“As he acknowledged during the Victory Fund’s annual brunch in D.C. this year, he had suffered a heart attack and was in the process of recovery,” according to the Blade.

“Beloved Israeli auteur, Eytan Fox (Walk on Water, Yossi and Jagger) returns with a sweet, bubbly and downright delicious concoction that will appeal to the entire GLBT community. When a group of tightknit friends (Including a gay man and a lesbian) accidentally enter a Eurovision-style musical contest, their endearing tune is picked to represent Israel. Thrust into a world of glamour and high expectations, the friends struggle to navigate around the sharp elbows of the pop music business, along the way getting into plenty of hilarious hijinks.”

BY STEVE ROTHAUS

The Broward judge who last month declared Florida’s gay-marriage ban unconstitutional vacated his own order on Tuesday, after learning the lawyer for a woman seeking a same-sex divorce had not properly notified the state when the case began.

“It has come to this Court’s attention that the Petitioner, Heather Brassner, has failed to comply with [state law] by failing to notice the Office of the Attorney General of these proceedings by either registered or certified mail,” Broward Circuit Judge Dale Cohen wrote in his order. “Therefore, this Court vacates its prior ruling declaring Article 1, section 27 and Florida Statute 741.212 unconstitutional.”

Cohen canceled a hearing set for Wednesday afternoon at the Broward Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale to finalize the dissolution of Brassner’s 2002 Vermont civil union with ex-partner Megan Lade, and wrote that “the Parties may schedule a rehearing” in the case.

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office said Tuesday it had not been in touch with the judge and “will continue to monitor the case,” said spokeswoman Jennifer Meale.

On Aug. 4, Cohen became the third South Florida judge in 18 days to declare Florida’s gay marriage ban unconstitutional, following judges in Monroe and Miami-Dade counties. Since then, a Palm Beach County and a federal judge in Tallahassee also have ruled against the ban, which Florida voters passed in 2008.

Bondi’s office did not intervene in the Brassner case or appeal Cohen’s declaratory judgment against the marriage ban.

Thirty days after Cohen ruled, Brassner’s attorney, Nancy Brodzki, declared victory and expected Brassner’s divorce to become final on Sept. 10. She and other LGBT activists hoped the ruling would pave the way to gay marriage in Broward.

Brodzki said Tuesday she got a call from Cohen’s judicial assistant, after the judge realized the state had not been properly notified.

“The judge, being a very thorough judge, obviously was doing all his research prior to tomorrow’s ruling and came across a rule of civil procedure as well as the Florida Statute, and recognized that that rule and statute had not been strictly complied with,” said Brodzki, a Coral Springs divorce lawyer. “He is being scrupulous that he, as the judge, and we, as the petitioners, have dotted every I and crossed every T. He found one and wants to correct it, so that his judgment, when it is entered, is not attacked on procedural grounds.”

Brassner, a Lake Worth art dealer, said she is disappointed by the delay, but not angry with Brodzki. “It was just an oversight,” Brassner said.